Warrior's Refuge/Chapter 4
Chapter description ''Graystripe's PoV :It is night, and there is a full moon. Inside the barn, Graystripe lies on some hay and he groggily opens his eyes, seeing Millie grooming herself. Graystripe walks over to her and compliments how the moonlight looks on her fur, but Millie responds that he doesn't always have to comfort her. Graystripe asks her if she was troubled about the Twolegs that day, but she answers that when she was a kittypet, little young Twolegs sometimes came to visit, and they would pamper her. Graystripe puts his paw on the floor next to Millie's, and guesses that his companion misses her housefolk a lot. Millie says that she sometimes does, and does right now. Graystripe notes that he asked her to give up so much, and he asks Millie if she wants to go back to her Twolegs. Millie closes her eyes and doesn't say anything, and Graystripe sits quietly, waiting. Finally, she happily nuzzles Graystripe and answers that her home is with him now, wherever that may be. :When the sun rises the next morning, Graystripe wakes up with a feeling that things are about to change again. Graystripe shows Millie all of the Twolegs are there. The adult female and the female Twoleg kit sit on the grass; the adult male and an older male Twoleg kit playing with a soccerball, the small dog watching them; and the big dog sniffs at a food bowl that is beside the Twoleg den. The adult female Twoleg turns her head to the cats, and Graystripe closes his eyes, bracing himself. :However, the Twoleg grins and tells the two cats to come. The young male Twoleg looks and grins, then kicks the soccer ball at the cats, yelling at them to get out of there, addressing them as mangy critters. As the soccer ball bounces near Graystripe and Millie, they hiss, bit the adult female grabs the back of the collar of his shirt, and orders that he is not to bother those cats, as they are their friends. She asks if he understands her, and the young male responds that he does. :Graystripe asks Millie if what he thinks just happened actually happened, and Millie, though unsure, answers that she thinks it did. Graystripe begins to walk away and tells her to come, as he has an idea. The two begin walking and Graystripe asks if they are following. Millie responds that they aren't yet, but she thinks they will. :Sure enough, as Graystripe and Millie are at the entrance to the barn, the four Twolegs are behind them. When Graystripe and Millie are in the barn, and the two female Twolegs are looking inside of it, Graystripe asks Millie if she can get them to wait. Millie says she will, though she wonders what Graystripe will do. Graystripe answers that if he's right, he will fix what's broken, and as he climbs the ladder, he thinks that he must also convince Moss to go along with his plan. :Graystripe and Moss are talking, and Moss asks Graystripe if he's serious about taking her kits down to the Twolegs. She exclaims that he's crazy, but Graystripe tells her to trust him. Moss protests that they'll hurt her kits, but Graystripe disagrees, and tells her to go and look. The two look down to the bottom floor of the barn at the Twolegs, where the females are stroking Millie. The male Twolegs are standing beside, and Graystripe explains that they've changed their opinion on the cats. He promises that if anything happens, he'll carry the kits right back up, and Moss reluctantly agrees. :Graystripe carries Little Mew and Moss carries Birdy down the ladder. Graystripe thinks that Moss is braver than she gives herself credit for, and the kits don't need persuasion. As he is being carried, Little Mew cheerfully exclaims that they're going downstairs, and on the floor of the barn, Raindrop and Pad play. Pad notes that it is great, and Birdy is surprised at the wide space. The adult Twolegs watch them happily. :Graystripe thinks that he and Millie don't belong in the barn or farm, but knows that they should try to make it a safe, happy place for the cats who do. Little Mew mews at the female Twoleg kit, who picks her up. Graystripe watches, amused, but at that point, Husker and Splash enter the barn through a gap in the wall. Husker demands to know what Graystripe is doing, and asks how he could bring his kits down there with those Twolegs. The young Twolegs play with the kits, and Graystripe informs Husker that they're not in danger anymore. Husker protests, but Graystripe tells him that this is their chance; that the Twolegs attitude changed, and now his can too. He adds that the time for mistrust and hostility is past. Husker stammers that if they can leave in peace, but cuts himself off when he sees the two dogs about to enter the barn. He walks over to them and tells them to go away. The big dog tells him to calm down, and they were just curious. It adds that he doesn't have to be rude. :The Twolegs and barn cats are all together; the young male Twoleg holds Splash; the Twoleg kit pets Raindrop, Little Mew, and Pad; the adult female strokes Moss, and the male Twoleg grins. Graystripe thinks that he's looking at the barn cats' future, and it's a good one. He tells Millie that he thinks it's time for them to go, and she agrees. As they turn to leave, though, the adult female Twoleg blocks the barn entrance and thanks them, grinning as she hugs Graystripe and Millie. When the two are on the floor again, Graystripe asks Millie if she's ready, and she answers that she is. They walk out of the barn, and Graystripe says that they should then go home. :It is heavily raining as Millie and Graystripe walk, and the words ‘let’s go home’ buzz in Graystripe's head. He cannot believe that he thought the forest was close, as they've been slogging through the freezing wet for days. He wonders how he could have taken Millie from a place where she was safe and warm and loved and never cold or hungry. :The two begin to walk down a hill, when Graystripe stops and stammers that it isn't right. Millie asks him what is wrong. There is a Thunderpath ahead of them, with a clearing of tree stumps after that, and Graystripe stutters that it looks like a place he knows, but it can't it, but it's the same. He and Millie stop at the entrance of a sewage pipe, and Millie asks if they are still going in the right direction. Graystripe says that he thinks so, and urges her to come. The two walk through the pipe, and Graystripe feels like he's losing his mind, wondering why this place is so familiar. They exit the pipe onto the field with tree stumps and Millie asks if he recognizes anything now. Graystripe walks and stammers that they have to keep going. Horrified, he says that if they just keep going, he knows they'll find something. They stop in front of an enormous tree, and Millie asks Graystripe if he recognizes it. :Graystripe asks StarClan to help him, and recalls a memory where he and a tortoiseshell cat are racing up it. Shocked, Graystripe states that it is The Great Sycamore, and he runs through the field, Millie several tails lengths behind, exclaiming for him to slow down. Graystripe stops, one paw raised, and says murmurs in horror. Millie is curious, and Graystripe tells her this is the ThunderClan camp. Millie stammers that she doesn't understand. The two are standing on edge of the top of a ravine, where blocks are jammed in one side, and all of the trees cut down. Graystripe says that his home is gone, and so is his Clan. Characters Major *Millie }} Minor *Female Twoleg kit *Adult male Twoleg *Young male Twoleg *Small Twoleg dog *Big Twoleg dog *Moss *Little Mew *Birdy *Raindrop *Pad *Husker *Splash }} Mentioned *Unnamed white cat with gray paws, ears, and tail-tip *Unnamed tabby with white muzzle and paws *Unnamed tabby }} Notes and references Category:Chapter subpages Category:Graphic novel arc Category:Warrior's Refuge Category:Graystripe's Adventure